A super ideal place for internship
“Yennenga’s approach is unique to the aid sector.”
Yes, you’ve heard us say this. Often.
However, the quote above is a newcomer’s conclusion after having studied the organisation with the curious eyes of a University student.
Angela Rossley is a Canadian completing her Master thesis in Global Health at the University of Uppsala. During September and October, she was granted an internship at Yennenga Progress, specifically to study the use of antibiotics in Burkina Faso. She found that there is little understanding about “the need for and appropriate use of antibiotics”. Doctors do not inform patients and this leads to an “overuse of a multitude of non-essential pharmaceuticals and other therapeutics”.
In her report, she elaborates on how to increase awareness of the optimal use of antibiotics, and infection prevention. She writes: “... education materials needed to culturally appropriate to a rural African population.”
Angela highlights how Nakamtenga “has been transformed into a micro-welfare society in a country with a more or less absent welfare system”. Part of the success is due to “... human capacity woven into a Competence Network” – which she believes also gave her added value as a student. “If we are successful, this wouldn’t be the first time that Stina has offered a Master’s project real world application in a known context. Simply put, Stina absolutely invites future interns and thesis collaborations with Uppsala”.
– It is a privilege to host interns, to share knowledge about our work, but also to get new perspectives and insights from the students, says Secreteray General Stina Berge. I believe that as a small organisation, we give trainees deep insight into the projects, as all parts from planning, implementation and evaluation become available. This also means that the trainees really can contribute and make a difference.
Angela agrees on the advantage with joining a small operation. For anyone aiming at an academic carrier, Yennenga may not be the best institution for an internship but “... if a future student is interested (... like me...) in the more practical aspects of aid, social determinants of health, and the politics of NGOs, this would be a good fit...“
Angela also recommends a continued cooperation with Försäkringskassan's worker rehabilitation program: “If there was a student that wanted a more accommodating environment while integrating into the professional world, this would be a super ideal internship!”
One comment in her report expresses frustration: Angela also got involved in the campaign in Bukavu, by Amnesty International, Dr Denis Mukwege and others, to demand a tribunal for humanitarian crimes committed in Eastern Congo. “Sadly, the campaign failed to ignite... social media only seemed to inspire those already invested in the field”.